Combined filter and primer for oil burners



Dec. 7, 1937. Q BENNETT 2,101,424

COMBINED FILTER AND PR'IMBR FOR OIL BURNERS Filed Aug. 16, 1935 ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Melvin 0. Bennett, Middletown, Conn., assignor of one-half to Thomas F. Smithwick,'Mlddletown, Conn.

Application August 16, 1935, Serial No. 36,534

3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvementsin liquid fuel burner equipment and has particular reference to a combined filter and primer for oil burners.

6 An object of the invention is to reduce the fire hazard connected with oil burners by preventing flooding or running over of the burners.

Another object is to provide means for delivering a predetermined priming charge to a burner 10 when it is desired to light the latter, whereby it is not necessary for the operator to stand about and watch the burner and guess when it has the proper priming charge.

A further object is to provide a means having 1' the characteristics indicated and which also includes a filtering feature whereby the oil or other liquid fuel is filtered before being permitted to reach the burner.

Other objects and advantages will become apso parent from a consideration 'of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein a satisfactory embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it will be understood that the inven- 25 tion is not limited to the details disclosed but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

30 Fig. 1 is a side elevational view with parts brokenaway and showing the present filter and primer associated with a fuel supply and a burner;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view partly in side eleva- 35 tion and partly in section showing the present filter and primer; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section substantially on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing at 5 is gen- 40 erally indicated an oil burner of the kind commonly used in kitchen ranges, although in the drawing the burner is not shown in place in the fire box of a, range. The burner comprises a base 6 having an annular groove i in which is 45 located any or the usual wick 8, and supported by the base 6 and extending upwardly from the A inner and outer sides of the wick are any or the usual inner and outer concentric perforated cylinders 9. As here shown the burner is carried by 50 an upright ill supported by any desired base means ii.

Fuel is supplied to the burner from any suitable source such as the bottle i2, commonly employed for this purpose, and the bottle discharges 55 into a constant level fuel supply chamber i3 carried by an arm ll adjustable vertically on an upright 15 extending from'a supporting base iii. A set screw or other means i1 is carried by the arm I and after the arm is adjusted to the desired position said set screw is tightened or 5 screwed in against the upright l5 to hold the arm and the chamber I 3 in the adjusted position. The supporting base It includes radially extending arms through the outer ends ofpwhich are threaded screws I 8 adapted to be adjusted to level 10 the base and have the upright l5 extend truly vertically.

As is the usual practice the bottle i 2 is held in inverted position with its neck or discharge end located within the chamber l3 and spring arms or the like l9 may be used for holding the bottle in position. These arms are carried by portion vertically adjustable on the upright l5 and a set screw 2| is provided to be threaded against the upright whereby to hold the portion 20 20 in the arms IS in the proper adjusted position. On the neck of the bottle there is threaded a metal cap 22 having a central discharge opening which is automatically closed by a spring operated valve 23 when the bottle is removed 5 from the supporting stand but which is held open by the end of the valve stem resting on the bottom of the oil chamber for the escape of oil when the bottle is positioned as shown in Fig. 1.

A stem 24 is secured to the valve and extends 0 with a suitable clearance through the opening in the cap 22 and at its outer end is provided with a head 25 and about such stem between the head and the cap 22 there is located a coil spring 26. Between the spring and the head 25 5 there is arranged a member 21 which may be U-shaped or which may have openings in its side walls and which is movable with the stem 24 and relative to the cap 22. When. the bottle is inverted and its neck placed in the chamber I3 the member 21 seats on a raised annular portion 28 in the bottom of the chamber and owing to the weight of the bottle and its contents the cap 22 seats against said member whereby the latter is supporting the weight of the bottle and its contents. At this time the valve'23 is lifted and the spring 26 is compressed due to the abutment of the valve stem head 25 with the bottom wall of the chamber It.

With the valve open the oil or other fuel flows from the bottle into the chamber I3 until its level in such chamber is sufficient to seal the outlet or delivery opening through the bottle cap 22. However, on the bottle being lifted off the stand or sufliciently to permit the spring 26 to onto and on the bottle neck. In the drawing the level at which the fuel in the chamber ll seals the discharge opening in the cap 22 is indicated by the broken line 2!. As this line is followed across the drawing, it will be noted that such level onthe burner 5 indicates the highest level which fuel should be permitted to reach in the burner.

when making an installation an eifort is always made to so adjust the chamber II with respect to the height of the burner that the discharge opening through the cap 22 of the bottle will remain sealed to prevent the further discharge of fuel oil while the fuel oil in the chamber I3 is at a level equal to the high level the fuel should be permitted to reach in the burner. Thus in a proper installation on the oil reaching a predetermined level in the burner the further discharge of oil from the bottle is prevented until some of the oil in the burner is consumed whereupon additional oil will be drained from the chamber It to the burner and additional oil from the bottle will be fed into the'chamber to again raise the level of the supply therein.

It not infrequently happens that the chamber I3 is located too high with respect to the height of the burner and that if the'usual fuel valve between the supply and burner is open without the burner being lit the latter will be flooded. With the usual arrangement when the burner is to be ignited the fuel valve is opened and then the operator must stand about for a few minutes until a priming charge of fuel reaches the burner. Usually a guess is made as to when the proper priming charge has reached the burner. If the oil level in the supply chamber i8 is too high with respect to the burner and the operator waits too long before lighting it the burner is likely to be flooded or to overflow permitting oil to spill into the fire box of the range.- This creates a serious fire hazard when the burner is lighted. The present invention provides means whereby the oil delivered to the burner is filtered and whereby when the burner is to be ignited only a definite predetermined quantity of fuel oil, comprising the proper primihg charge, will be delivered to the burner and whereby it will be unnecessary for the operator to stand about and watch the burner and then guess as to when it has received the proper priming charge. Such means comprises a receptacle generally designated 30, and at one side provided with a lug or extension 3| having an opening through which the upright l5 passes whereby the receptacle may be adjusted vertically on said upright and a set screw 32 carried by said extension is adapted to be threaded against the upright 50 as to support the receptacle in the proper position of vertical adjustment.

Internally the receptacle III is divided into a relatively deep receiving and settling chamber 33 and a priming or discharging chamber 34 the bottom wall 35 of which is preferably located above the bottom wall 36 of the chamber 38. The chambers are separated by a wall 31 which in its lower portion, just above the bottom wall 35 of the priming chamber, is provided with an opening in which is located a screen 38. If desired screen 38 may be omitted and a screen may be provided across the chamber 33 at or below the level of the bottom wall of the priming chamber, and in some cases both screens may be used.

By means of a conduit 30 fuel is taken from the lower end of the chamber II and delivered to the receiving chamber 33 of the receptacle II. The conduit is connected with the receptacle by a suitable fitting 4| located so that the fuel enters the chamber 83 above the bottom thereof. In the drawing the low level line for the burner is indicated by the broken line 4| and it will be noted that the same is just above the bottom wall 3! of the priming chamber 34. As the height of the fuel oil increases in the chamber 33 to a point beyond the level indicated by the line 4i 'fuel oil flows through the screen ll into the chamber 34 and the fuel oil in both the chambers lfand 34 will rise to the level indicated by the broken line 28. A conduit 42 connects the priming chamber 34 with afitting 43 discharging into a short tube 44 entering the lower end ofthe groove I of the burner.

In the conduits 18 and 42 there are arranged hand cut-off valves 45 and 48 respectively. with the parts installed as shown when the valves 4! and 48 are open oil will flow from the bottle it through chamber I3 and receptacle II to the burner. In the receptacle the oil will be delivered to chamber 33 and from the latter will move to theupper or priming chamber I4 and thence to the burner. Dust or other foreign matter will be caught by the screen 34 and prevented from reaching the burner and will settle in the bottom portion of the chamber II. Also, any water in through a petcock 41. A cover 48 closes the upper ends of the chambers 33 and 84 to exclude dust.

Assuming that the apparatus is set up as indicated, before the burner is ignited the valve 44 is closed and the valve 45 is opened. This permits the fuel to rise to the proper predetermined level in the priming chamber 34. Now, when the burner is to be ignited the valve 48 is closed, and the valve 4! opened. Thus fuel is prevented from moving from the bottle I! to the receptacle ll and a predetermined priming charge will be drained from the receptacle to the burner. The size and relationship of the parts is such that the oil in the chamber I4 together with that portion of the oil in chamber 33 above the broken line 4| constitutes a priming charge of the proper size and as such will be drained into the burner.

Owing to the fact that the valve 48 is closed the oil drained into the burner from the receptacle 30 will not be replenished by'additional oil taken from the bottle or from the supply chamber l3. Therefore, only a definite predetermined priming charge will be delivered to the burner and it will not be necessary for the operator to make a guess as to when the proper priming charge has been delivered to the burner, and further it will not be necessary for the operator to stand around and wait for the charge to reach the burner in order that she may be on hand to prevent flooding of the burner. After the burner is primed and ignited the operator opens the valve 45 and the fuel will be fed the burner of the valve 45 and opening of the valve 48. The

cover 48 does not absolutely seal the upper end of the receptacle 30 so that the apparatus will not become air bound. By adjusting the receptacle vertically relative to the chamber l3 or by adjusting said chamber relative to the receptacle the height to which fuel may rise in the priming chamber 34 may be adjusted so as to have such chamber receive the desired priming charge. When the burner is to be extinguished the valve 46 should be closed and the valve 45 left open to insure the presence of a priming charge in the upper portion of the receptacle 30 so that when the burner is to be again started the proper priming charge will be delivered on closing of the valve 45 and opening of valve 46.

It is important that the entrance to the discharge or outlet pipe 42 be substantially at the normal liquid level as I have found this effects a material saving in oil consumption.

I have also found this device gives a more uniform operation for the burner. The filter with the settling and primer chamber acts as a resistance unit so that the fuel feeds slower and at a more uniform rate and prevents overloading of the burner. The burner does not fluctuate when the bottle feeds as is common with ordinary feeds. Also, the oil does not feed from the bottle as long as each feeding when this device is used thus giving a more uniform and constant feed with less fluctuation at the burner.

In the receptacle or bottle base I3 I prefer a head of about one inch between the normal fuel level 29 and the entrance to pipe 39 with a diameter of four or five inches for said bottle base. The fuel passes upwardly in the chamber 33 of the filter device and then flows slowly from the primer chamber 34 at the normal fuel level with practically no head to the burner. As indicated this arrangement gives a more uniform feed with less fluctuation and no overloading of the burner, resulting in more uniform and efficient operation of the burner with less fuel consumption as it is utilized more effectively and more efficiently.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. A fuel feeding system for a liquid fuel burner comprising a bottle base providing a constant level supply chamber for an inverted bottle feed and for determining the highest level to which fuel may rise in the burner, a receptacle between the supply chamber and the burner, a conduit connecting the supply chamber with the receptacle, a manually operable shut off valve between the supply chamber and the receptacle,

a conduit connecting the receptacle with the burner and connected to the receptacle at a point below the high fuel level to determine the low fuel level in the burner, said receptacle having suflicient capacity between said levels to supply a sufficiently large priming charge to the burner for starting it when said shut off valve is closed, and a second shut off valve between the recep tacle and the burner.

2. A fuel feeding system for a liquid fuel burner comprising a constant level supply chamber for determining the highest level to which fuel may rise in the burner, a receptacle between the supply chamber and the burner including a receiving and settling chamber and a priming chamber communicating with the latter chamber, a conduit connecting the supply chamber with the receiving chamber at the lower part thereof, a manually operable shut off valve in said conduit, a conduit connecting the priming chamber with the burner and connected with the priming chamber at a point below the high fuel level to determine the low fuel level in the burner, said receptacle having sufficient capacity between said levels to supply a sufficiently large priming charge to the burner for starting it when the shut off valve is closed, a second shut off valve between the receptacle and the burner, and means for mounting said devices for relative vertical adjustment whereby to adjust said fuel levels.

3. A fuel feeding system for a liquid fuel burner comprising a bottle base providing a constant level supply chamber for an inverted bottle feed and for determining the highest level to which fuel may rise in the burner, a receptacle between the supply chamber and the burner and including a receiving and settling chamber, a conduit connecting the supply chamber to the lower part of the receiving chamber, a manually operable shut off valve in said conduit, a conduit connecting the receptacle with the burner and connected with the receptacle at a point below the high fuel level to determine the low fuel level in the burner, said receptacle having sufficient capacity between said levels to supply a sufficiently large priming charge to the burner for starting it when the shut off valve is closed, a second shut off valve between the receptacle and the burner, an upright standard, and means for mounting the supply chamber and the receptacle for relative vertical adjustment on the standard whereby to ad just said fuel levels.

MELVIN C. BENNETT. 

